Date of Purchase : December 17, 1999
Development Completed : October 1, 2001

OVERVIEW

We won this project in a competition. The land had been given to the city of Hoboken by the Port Authority, who remained the city’s advisor, and was declared an urban renewal site. There was also an office site to be developed, as well. As Hoboken’s popularity increased, several very established New York developers were pushing the Port Authority to choose one of the New York companies.

“Attended the Hoboken Southern Waterfront conference at Stevens. Blinder was there with Joe Cicala and Michael Barry. I told Joe and Michael afterward that we should prepare a bid for both B and C parcels of the southern waterfront including, of course, the hotel. Blinder is to hook us up with somebody from Marriott…”

October 31, 1996

I partnered with developer Gene Heller, the former president of one of New Jersey’s biggest development companies, Hartz Mountain Industries (owned by Leonard Stern). Heller was now on his own. His reputation strengthened our position in the competition and allowed us to compete for both the office and the hotel sites.

“Called Gene Heller and told him about my idea to break off the hotel and retail and some office space so that we can start. He thought it was a good idea. I asked him to please look at the configurations since he knows so much about office and retail.”

October 15, 1998

“We held a groundbreaking that was very well attended. Lunched with the team until late in the day. The pieces are all in place now.”

February 14, 2000

Today, 333 River Street runs approximately 620 feet from the W Hotel on 3rd Street to the bend in River Street (approximately 4th Street). It has 525 units and 51,000 feet of retail. Its density is a function of the bidding process in which every cubic foot of permissible space was used in order to meet the city’s price. The result is a gorgeous building built as an E, with the legs pointing to the river and New York. It remains the most popular rental building in Hoboken. With the Shipyard Project, 333 River Street made the Applied Companies the most dominant force in the development of Hoboken’s Riverfront.